District 6 - Two Harbors CO Sean Williams (Ely #1) reports warm weather arrived overtheweekandplenty of anglers and snowmobile riders took advantage. Angling successwasfoundgood, and trail conditions held throughtheweekendbutwere generallypoorafterheavyuse and heat. Violations included angling without a license and snowmobile speed.
CO Brent Ihnen (Ely #2) continued focusing on checking anglers and snowmobile operators this week. Ihnen also patrolled for ATV activity. Additional time was spent checking for litter and fish house compliance on area lakes.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Grand Marais) spent time patrolling on snowmobile along theU.S./Canadaborder.Time was also monitoring snowmobile trails. Enforcement action was taken for angling and snowmobile violations.
CO Hudson Ledeen (Hovland) spent the week patrolling area lakes and local snowmobile trails, answering calls about nuisance animals, and spending time in the BWCA. Fishing remains inconsistent with some anglers having success and others failing to catch a fish. Enforcement action was taken for snowmobiling and angling violations.
CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) worked primarily angling and snowmobile enforcement this week. Unfortunately, snowmobile trail conditionshavebadlydeteriorated with the extended warm weather. Enforcement action included use of live minnows on a trout lake, snowmobile speed, and illegal, loud snowmobile exhaust.
COMeganFranzen(Silver Bay) spent the week monitoring ice angling and snowmobiling activity around the area. Various wildlife-related complaints have been fielded as critters have moved closer to town for the winter. Warm weather this weekend has left the snowmobile trails slushy and eroded. Hopefully, upcoming snow will help them stabilize again.
CO Trent Anderson (Tofte) focused on angling andsnowmobileenforcement for the week. The midwinter thaw its toll on area trails but it didn’t deter many folks taking advantage of the clear skies. Anglers have been reporting varied success. Enforcement action was taken for various angling and license-related violations.
CO Cassie block (Two Harbors) spent time this week patrolling area snowmobile trails. Time was also spent checking anglers on area lakes. Block also spent time training with K9 Jet.
District 5 - Eveleth area CO Paul Kennedy (International Falls #1) reports having a busy week with snowmobile and angling activity with warmer weather moving into the area. Anglers had a mixed report with a better bite as the week went on. Trails have held up in the area with the Voyageurs Snowmobile Club putting in longhourstokeepthemmaintained. He also responded to a report of an iPhone crash alert in Black Bay. A snowmobile was found to have collided with a rock face near Gold Portage. The operator was transported by ambulance due to injuries sustained in the crash. Enforcement action for the week included no shelter license, no angling license in possession, and numerous snowmobile violations for registration and speeding.
CO Curtis Simonson (International Falls #2) reports working area lakes and snowmobile trails this past week. Simonson checked anglers throughout the week and worked speed enforcement on area trails and lakes.
CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) reports President’s Day weekend brought eager snowmobilers out. Weather conditions for the start of the weekend were pleasant for angling and snowmobiling but as the weekend progressed trail conditions quickly deteriorated. Anglers remained happy to sit in the sun until steady rain dampened the mood on Sunday. Snowmobile registration, speeding, and illegal exhaust wereonceagaincommonand addressed.
CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports snowmobile trails in poor condition as multiple days of 40-degree-plus temps and no snow have trails at dirt and grass in some locations. Angling activity continues, with little observed being caught. Equipment inventory is ongoing.
CO Sean Cannon (Cook) spent most of the week monitoring snowmobile activity. The trails were busy throughout the week and into the weekend. They took a beating with the warmth and sunshine, but overall the decline was not as bad as feared. The trails should be good again with a little cold and a little more snow. Time was also spent checking anglers, who reported little to no success. Enforcement activity through the week included excessive speed on a snowmobile, loud snowmobile exhaust, careless operation, and operating a motor vehicle on the snowmobile trail.
COAaronLarson(Tower) worked primarily angling and trapping enforcement. Time was spent working on a trapping case and checking snowmobile trails as well. Warm weather has begun deteriorating local snowmobile trails in the area.
CO Marc Johnson (Hibbing) primarilyworkedsnowmobile, ATV, and angling activity. In addition, time was also spent providing extra patrol during a vintage snowmobile ride. Abnormally warm weather deteriorated snowmobile trails considerably and anglers continue to report a slow bite. Many permanent shelters have already been removed from local lakes.
CO Shane Zavodnik (Virginia) spent time patrolling on snowmobile throughout the week. Trail conditions went from fair to poor due to unseasonably warm weather over the weekend. Angler success for panfish remained decent, but walleye fishing was very slow. Zavodnik took enforcement action due to excessive speed on the trails.
